The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  Kelsey’s eyes widened as she thought about what I had just announced so matter-of-factly. She set the half-empty glass down on the coffee table and counted on her fingers, and then she smiled at me. “So it was!”

  Just as quickly her demeanor changed; she looked frightened and started shaking her head. “But I have nowhere else to go, Miss Lizzy. I must stay on here. I would have no idea how to do anything else. Where would I get my Ambrosia? I could not use people without paying them and I’ve got nothing to pay them with.” Suddenly there was panic in her eyes and in her voice. “I can’t leave!”

  “Oh, Kelsey, you don’t have to leave. You can stay on as my assistant for as long as you wish. You will always be paid for your services here, but I think you ought to be allowed to live apart from your mother, if you wish. You deserve some privacy, a place of your own.”

  “Really, Miss Lizzy? I could do that? Could I keep my gardens too? Oh, perhaps I can get a puppy! I always wanted a pet. Is that wrong of me? Something of my very own to take care of!” Her voice rang full of hope and her whole face lit up for the first time since we’d met.

  “Of course, I’d have to speak with Emrys first. But as long as you’d take care of the dog yourself and be responsible for it, I don’t see why it would be a problem.”

  Kelsey stood and clapped her hands together. “That would be wonderful, Miss Lizzy. Completely wonderful!” All of a sudden, a look of despair crossed over her face. “Oh, but what about me mum? She’ll never allow any of it.”

  “Sure she will. I’ll get Emrys to speak to her. You’ll see. It’ll all work out just fine. One more thing: I truly want you to just call me Lizzy. Miss Lizzy sounds so...formal. Can you do that?” I stood and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “Oh yes, Miss... I mean, yes, Lizzy. I shall try my best to remember.” She nodded her head excitedly.

  “Do you think you could do me one more favor, Kelsey?” I kept my hand on her shoulder, though it appeared to make her somewhat uncomfortable. It was evident she was not used to tenderness or much physical contact of any kind.

  “Would you have time to show me around the rest of the estate? I would love to be able to find things on my own.”

  “That would be my pleasure, Lizzy.” She bent her head almost like a bow, and then displayed the first sign of her sense of humor: a wide smile and a wink. She jumped toward me and grabbed my hand asking, “Would you like to go now?” She began to pull me toward the doorway as a hopeful grin warmed her face. I could see what a cute girl she was once she let herself open up and smile.

  “Sure, why not,” I said with a shrug. “I’m really anxious to see where everything is. Maybe we can even find a room for you on our travels!”

  Kelsey squeezed my hand before she let it go and said, “Thank you, Lizzy. I am so glad you came to Ravenswynd. I believe having you here will be altogether wonderful! You’re not at all like the other superiors.”

  “Superiors? I’d rather think of myself as your friend, Kelsey. And I hope you think the same. You can be a friend who helps me get things done, and is paid to do so. Would that be alright?” I asked as we neared the door.

  Kelsey’s eyes filled with tears. “I cannot believe my luck has finally changed. I’ve waited and wished for this for so very long now. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have all that you’re offering me - plus your friendship! I don’t know what to say.” She dabbed at her eyes with the corner of her apron.

  “Just say yes.” I said, touching her hand.

  “Yes. And thank you, Lizzy.”

  She turned toward the door, unlocked it, and held it open for me. “Let’s start on this floor. You know where the upstairs library is. We could start there.”

  I pulled the door shut, locked it with my key, and followed Kelsey down the hallway. I was sure her step looked a bit more bouncy than usual, and it felt great knowing I was the cause of it. We turned into the upstairs library.

  I understood immediately why they called it the upstairs library. There was a spiral staircase that went down to the lower level - the downstairs library, of course. Each floor was loaded with books, both had a fireplace, and both were richly ornamental, yet cozy. I could picture sitting in there on cold rainy days, curled up by the fireside, and reading a novel.

  Kelsey showed me all of the rooms on our floor, except of course the private ones occupied by fellow Ravens. We explored for hours. I discovered there was a game room with several large televisions and computers, a music room with a beautiful grand piano, plus a fully equipped gym on the ground level. There was even a billiard hall that was set up to look like a pub: the bar was fully stocked, televisions hung in each corner, and there were booths around the perimeter and billiard tables in the middle. It was actually very quaint.

  She also showed me the dwelling she and her mother shared, which was on the complete opposite side of the mansion from me, on the floor above Lindy and Gavin’s quarters. Kelsey’s rooms reminded me of a large motel suite with two beds - side by side, a sitting area with a television, a very small kitchenette and one bathroom. Seeing this only reinforced my determination to help her find some space of her own where she didn’t have to cram all of her things alongside her mother’s.

  Climbing one of the many stairways, we ran into Priscilla. At first she scowled at Kelsey, and in an irritated tone, demanded to know where she was going. But as soon as she saw me following close behind, she changed her tune. “Oh, I take it you’re giving Miss Elizabeth a tour. Don’t forget it will soon be time for our afternoon meal. Don’t be late!” As usual, she went on without waiting for an answer and she reached out her pudgy hand to push a loose strand of Kelsey’s hair back into the clip, and said, “Fix yourself, child!”

  “Please, mother. I am not a child. You’re embarrassing me in front of my friend.” The way she emphasized the word friend made me happy and proud of her.

  Priscilla stopped fidgeting at once, surprised by her daughter’s boldness, and more likely, the meaning behind the words she had spoken. “Oh, I...that is to say...I am sorry. I hope you two have a good morning, then.” Struggling to maintain her composure, she turned to me and tipped her head, saying, “Ma’am.”

  I decided to throw my idea out there in the hopes of getting her prepared for what was to come soon. “Thank you Priscilla. You should be very proud of your daughter. She’s a terrific young lady, and I am so glad that Emrys chose her to be my assistant. I just know that we’ll be good friends and that she will be such a great help to me, especially as I’m so new to this whole way of life. I may have to keep her closer to our quarters once we get our schedule and routine organized, so I’m thinking that perhaps we should start looking for an empty suite somewhere in our wing. That way she won’t disturb you, should I need her after hours.”

  I grabbed Kelsey’s arm and continued up the stairs, leaving Priscilla with a lot to think about. “See you at lunch!” I called out as we reached the top landing. I turned, taking a moment to peek down to see Priscilla’s reaction. She had twisted her head, staring up at us - frozen, still standing in the same spot. Her thick hand clutched the rail, her face in turmoil, open-mouthed and obviously full of questions, but unable to object. With one swift motion, I pulled Kelsey around the first bend in the hallway before her mother had a chance to find her tongue.

  “Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I whispered cheerily.

  “Oh my! Mum will not like this one bit, not one single bit,” she answered, half giddy. “But that was smashing the way you handled her! You managed to make it all about you requiring my help, without ever pointing out my lack of freedom. And then, the idea of mum not being disturbed - what a great idea! How did you become so good with people, Lizzy?”

  “Remember, I have a twin,” I snickered. “We used to do everything together. We finished each other’s sentences, and we usually knew what the other was thinking or feeling most of the time. I guess two heads are better than one.”

  A sudden twinge of sadne
ss pricked my heart. Now that I was with Emrys and Lindy was with Gavin, I imagined the two of us wouldn’t be able to spend anywhere near the same amount of time together as we used to back home. It was good that Emrys and Gavin were old friends. At least I knew they’d get along and probably wouldn’t mind socializing together, probably far more often than they had before the twins descended upon them.

  I shook off the sad feeling, thinking about all of the new people and experiences that would be coming my way. Peering down another new hallway, I asked, “And what are all these rooms for, Kelsey?”

  “They are mostly for guests or new Ravens. I’ll show you the one just above your quarters. It’s not quite as large as yours is, but the layout is nearly the same. Come, there’s a short-cut,” Kelsey said, leading me to a set of narrow stairs at the end of the hallway.

  She was right; this other set of stairs was nearer to our suite than the main stairway was. And as soon as she opened the door, I saw that this suite would be perfect for her. The rooms were a little smaller than ours and there was no hot tub, but there would be plenty of space for Kelsey. There was a nice queen-sized bed in a large bedroom that she could have all to herself. The kitchenette was about the same size as what she was used to; all she needed was to have the refrigerator stocked with Ambrosia and some food. Her personal belongings would certainly fit, and there were plenty of tables and counters where she could put her beautiful flower arrangements. The living room had two sofas and even a large television set. Of course she had no idea I’d been picturing her in here, and I’d have to speak with Emrys before I gave her any false hopes, but I felt she truly needed this. Almost more than she needed our sweet nectar.

  With all the planning going on in my head, I found myself getting more excited. I could even help her unpack and arrange her things. We could go shopping to pick up any items she wanted for her new place, and I could pick out a new bedspread for our room as well. I couldn’t wait to speak to Emrys.

  While we wandered around the rooms it occurred to me that I had never asked her about the details of her own personal situation. I wondered if it would be too personal of a question to ask, but it suddenly seemed like an important subject. As we started back toward my suite, I decided to bring the subject up again.

  “Kelsey?”

  “Yes?” She turned around in the middle of the hallway and faced me.

  “You said earlier that you were mated with someone. What happened to him? I was under the impression that Ravens mated for life, and yet I keep finding it is not always true...as in the case of Emrys’ parents. And then,” I added, with a scowl, “There’s Amrita’s father, Idris.”

  A half-pitiful, half-disgusted look flashed over Kelsey’s face as she brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eye and folded her arms in front. “And then there is his son.”

  “His son?” I gulped. “You mean Rohan?” I could barely say his name without breaking out in a cold sweat.

  “Oh, you do know of Rohan already,” Kelsey said, frowning. “Did you meet him at the gathering? He always did enjoy going to those events to find new playthings.” She shook her head back and forth looking even more disgusted. “He will never change.”

  “Yes, we met,” I said, rolling my eyes. I wasn’t sure if I should tell her the whole Rohan story, or wait until I knew her better. After all, it wasn’t the type of story I’d want everyone to be aware of; it was quite personal, and actually rather embarrassing. I decided to wait for now, and said, “But we’ve gotten side-tracked. You didn’t say what happened to your mate.” It then dawned on me that perhaps something terrible had happened to Kelsey, similar to what had happened to Emrys’ parents. Or maybe she was the one who deliberately chose another and her mate left her. I began to regret bringing it up at all. I certainly didn’t want her to think she had to tell me anything personal either, not if she wasn’t ready to yet.

  I was only a moment away from telling her it didn’t matter and that we could discuss it another time, when she burst out crying.

  Oh, great! I had managed to make her dredge up old feelings, and felt terrible.

  “I’m sorry, Kelsey,” I said, taking a step closer. “It’s none of my business. You don’t have to say another word.”

  “What?” She blubbered through her tears.

  “Never mind. I shouldn’t have expected you to be so open with me. I’m sorry I said anything.” I touched her shoulder. “Just forget about it.”

  “How can I forget about it?” she sobbed. “He’s ruined everything, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I trusted him. I gave myself to him, and he lied about everything. He never really cared.” She sniffed, and went on: “He’s ruined my life, my hopes, and my future. And I am doomed to be alone for all eternity because of him.” She pulled out a tissue from her apron pocket and wiped her nose. “I wish I had never met him.”

  I was quite sure Kelsey’s crying echoed throughout the entire estate, and I wished I’d never opened my big mouth.

  “I’m so sorry, Kelsey. I’m glad now that I haven’t had the unpleasant experience of having met this guy then.”

  She looked bewildered as she dabbed her eyes, blinking at me through her tears. “But, I thought you said you had met him.”

  I began to run through my mind all the possibilities, all the many new faces I’d met since we arrived at Ravenswynd. I had no idea who she could be referring to, and wondered if I could have met him already.

  “Are you telling me that he’s still living here? I find that so hard to believe. I don’t understand.”

  Kelsey frowned at me, narrowed her eyes, and then shook her head, saying, “No, he has not been here for years. He used to come back more often, in the beginning.”

  “Well, then how or where did I meet him?” I was now lost in a maze of confusion.

  “You said it yourself earlier when you mentioned the gathering.” Kelsey sounded even more upset now, and as confusion enveloped her, she eyed me warily.

  I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to recollect names and faces at the gathering. No one came to mind, but I began to feel agitated and uncomfortably disconcerted. “Who are we talking about?” I asked in a raised voice.

  She became even more disjointed as she watched my nerves beginning to unravel and she said, “I thought you knew who we’ve been talking about all along.”

  “I guess not!” I said, nearly shouting now. Kelsey took a short step back, reacting to my loud response.

  My hands began to sweat, my heart started to beat like a wild drum roll, and I felt the sudden urge to sit down on the floor of the hallway. My legs had become as wobbly as if my bones had turned to jello. Grabbing onto the closest wall, I fought the urge to collapse in a heap, but as things became revoltingly clearer, feelings of red-hot rage and ominous dread boiled up inside of me.

  I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and somehow managed to ask one more time, but not without faltering and stuttering and clenching my teeth: “Who ruined your life, Kelsey? Who – the –flaming - bloody - hell - are we talking about?”

  My outburst seemed to frighten her into using her most mousy voice, barely audible, yet clear enough to hear the one name I dreaded hearing more so than any other name on earth.

  “Why, Rohan, of course.”

  CHAPTER 9

  GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

  Emrys stood silent behind me, gently rubbing my shoulders - apparently in a desperate attempt to massage away my anger. I was livid.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” I said, still seething. “Didn’t you think I would find out sooner or later?” Somehow I managed to keep my voice low in spite of my anger. “What the flaming hell were you thinking, Emrys?” I put my hands over my eyes, resting my elbows on the table before me. “I couldn’t even finish my grand tour of the estate after Kelsey told me. I had to excuse myself and send her back to her mother. How on earth do I deal with this now?”

  He continued to rub my neck, and said softly, “Truly, Elizabeth, it n
ever crossed my mind. It was so very long ago that they were together. Nearly a lifetime has passed.”

  “Well, it may be a lifetime to you, but to Kelsey it’s as fresh as if it happened last week.” I raised my head up slightly, “She cried so hard. I feel terrible for her, and it makes me hate him even more.”

  Emrys took a deep breath and sighed. “Do you want me to arrange for another to take her place? Would that make it easier for you?” he asked.

  “What? No! That’s not at all what I’m saying. Kelsey is a sweet girl. She deserves better than this wretched life. I want to help her, not send her away!”

  “What would you suggest I do then?” he asked, his voice flat, still kneading my neck.

  I lifted my head and turned to face him. As I did, his hands fell to his sides. His shoulders looked rigid, and he just gazed down at me, waiting. The genuine concern in his eyes removed every bit of my anger, and I stood up and rested my hand on his chest.

  “Emrys, you do know about the contract that Kelsey and Priscilla signed, right?” It was more a statement than a question.

  He relaxed a little, the corners of his mouth turned up as he gave a nod. “Of course I do. And I realize that their time has expired, and Priscilla has chosen to continue living here and retain her place in our society as cook.”

  “Well,” I said, choosing my words carefully, “what about Kelsey? Is she given the same choice? Or does her mother just continue to make decisions for her?” I raised my eyebrows quizzically.

  “Why, what does the girl want?”

  “The girl, as you call her, doesn’t even realize she can make her own decisions. Her mother has held her back for so long…” I sighed and added, “Not to mention the fact that Rohan has just about crippled her emotionally. She’s so damn unsure of herself, it’s ridiculous.” I shook my head. “And she’s not a girl. She’s a grown woman!”